Green Your Day

“The beginning of the shampoo bottle always goes faster than the end.” - Elizabeth Royte, author of Garbage Land.

When I read that quote, I instantly realized that I was one of those people who waste things when they’re there, and then try to savor them when they’re nearly gone.

And I know I’m not alone.

How often do you find yourself trying to pound out what’s left of your shampoo bottle, only to give up and reach for that fresh new bottle waiting on the side just aching to ooze out generously into the palm of your hands?

Next thing you know the old bottle is tossed away with perfectly good shampoo still hanging on to dear life! Not a very eco-friendly move.

“Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?”

1. Don’t buy new shampoo and conditioner until you completely run out of the surplus you already have. Use what you have and work with it! You’d be surprised how much of the product is still left in a seemingly empty bottle: Consider it a Hannukah bathroom miracle!
2. Got new bottles already lying around? Store them somewhere far, far away from your bathtub, like in another room where you’ll think twice before skipping out of the shower all cold and wet to get it.
3. I personally try leaving my (cruelty-free) shampoo and conditioner upside down for a while but that usually turns into a bad bowling game, knocking down bottles left and right. There must be a better way, right? There is: Apparently some geniuses before me have already thought of this and came up with new and convenient ways to store your bottles upside down (see above pic, courtesy of Fluggart). You might consider it a good investment to ultimately help you waste less.
4. And when you’re finally finished squeezing the sense out of the bottles: Recycle, recycle, recycle!

This was originally posted on Living In My Own World

Global warming: Panicked activists think it’s the worse think to ever happen to humanity… hardening skeptics claim its a hoax… and everyone in between simply thinks to themselves: “What’s the worst that could happen?”

But then along comes a 38-year-old science teacher and father of two, and asks 2.5 million YouTube viewers the following question:

What if I told you I think I’ve found an argument that makes that whole bitter question of whether it’s really happening or not, moot? An argument where we don’t need to know whether it’s true or not in order to still decide what to do or not do. An argument that leads to a conclusion that even the most hardened skeptic and the most panicked activist both can agree on?

So what’s the worst that could happen? Well, that depends on which column you choose… (check out this video below)

Did You Know?

If everyone in the U.S. recycled their Sunday newspaper it would save roughly 500,000 trees every week!

SOURCE

Ordering in food to your home or your office can be fun every once in a while (I’m rather addicted to it myself…) But ever notice all the “stuff” that comes along with your meal? A typical order of one simple meal can usually include most (or all) of the following:

A plastic fork, a plastic knife, a plastic spoon, 1 or 2 paper napkins, a small paper packet of salt, a small paper packet of pepper, a toothpick, freshener wipes in their little paper cover and the little plastic bag that holds all these unnecessary items together! Oh, and not to mention a plastic cup and/or straw for your drink!

What the means is that one simple meal (that you didn’t even make yourself!) can result in a bag full of waste that goes straight to the garbage! Un-freikin-believable!

“Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?”

Believe it or not, all it takes is one simple sentence upon ordering: “And I won’t be needing the utensils and stuff, thank you.”

Use your own utensils, use your own salt and pepper, use your own cups and as for the “freshening wipes”… oh, for green’s sake, just wash your hands!

Did You Know?

Recycling 35 percent of our trash reduces emissions equivalent to taking 36 million cars off the road.

SOURCE

Some offices in Israel and around the world have already been officially declared “green” and are no longer offering disposable coffee cups to their employees (good for them!) But just because your office is not environmentally aware, doesn’t mean you have to go along with the crowd!

“Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?”

1) Suggest a green movement to the company bosses, removing all disposable coffee cups and utensils from the office kitchen. If the bosses don’t seem convinced, you could always mention how much MONEY they will be saving (bosses love that!)

2) Teach by example: When CEOS have their heads so far up their butts that they can’t seem to grasp how important such a decision is, well, then there’s nothing left to do but be your own boss! Just Say No to the disposable cups by officially declaring today (and every day) “Bring Your Coffee Mugs to Work Day”. Simply put, BE the change that you want to see in your office!